Governor Wants to Continue VC Summer Project, Report Says

A published report says South Carolina is looking at ways to revive the abandoned project to build two new nuclear reactors at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station.

Author:
wltx

Published:
9:49 AM EDT August 8, 2017

Columbia, SC (WLTX) - A published report says South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster is looking at ways to revive the abandoned project to build two new nuclear reactors at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that McMaster at several possibilities, One is the idea to sell the state-owned utility, Santee Cooper, or sell the the Santee Cooper's 45 percent ownership in the construction of the reactors.

A spokesman for the governor says he would not comment on any specific dealings or conversations that McMaster has had about the project, but Sen. Mike Fanning, who represents the area where V.C. Summer is located, says the governor has a lot of ideas about how to keep construction alive.

Fanning said a couple of those options include selling Santee Cooper's interest in the two unfinished reactors or perhaps requesting help from the Trump White House.

Santee Cooper spokeswoman Mollie Gore would not comment on the Wall Street Journal story, but says Santee Cooper would listen to offers to buy their share of the failed project.

Last week, SCE&G and Santee Cooper walked away from a multi-year, multi-billion dollar project to build the reactors at V.C. Summer. The move cost 5,600 people their jobs.

A law passed 10 years ago allowed for rate increases for customers to fund the project before it was even built. With money money still owed on the deal, further rate increases will be needed for customers, including a proposal by SCE&G to spread those costs out to customers over a 60-year period.